by Linda-Ann Stewart

Some people don’t accept their own inner power. Many times, they abandon it because they’re afraid they’ll misuse it. Generally, this is because they’ve been the victims of other people who abuse their power and authority and don’t want to be like the abusers.

They’ve confused power with control. Power is the energy and ability to affect their own world. Contrarily, control is attempting to dominate the world of others for an advantage. Controllers manipulate, denigrate, discount and put others down to make themselves feel more powerful.

Since they don’t recognize their inner power, controllers feel they have to take it from others. This is the realm of bullies and abusers. They’re trying to make others do their bidding so that they feel better in some way. This is control, not empowerment.

If you don’t accept and exercise your power, then you’re making yourself a victim and living in survival mode. Instead of impacting your life in an assertive fashion, you’re always reacting to outside events. This causes you to live in fear, feel helpless, and let  others define who you are. They’re filtering who you are through their own beliefs about who they think you should be.

When you accept this and don’t set and keep boundaries, you’ve actually abandoned your inner self. Living at the mercy of someone else’s whims isn’t conducive to spiritual growth or personal development.

By not taking responsibility for your power, you hand it over to others. Instead of making decisions for yourself, you let others choose for you. This is how the Law of Attraction works. Personal power is simply energy. If you don’t  exercise it consciously, or reject it, it will go elsewhere. That disowned energy projects into the world and attracts people who will use it, usually to your detriment.

Personal power is a sense of confidence, strength and authenticity. Control comes from fear. When you accept your own inner power, you accept responsibility for yourself and your decisions. You rest in the assurance that you have the right to say “Yes” or “No,” based on knowing your limits and what’s appropriate for you.

Reclaiming your power may affect people in your life, because it changes the relationship. The other people now have to fall back on their own resources to meet their needs. Simply remember that they have their own power they can cultivate. They don’t have a right to your’s.

Only by being authentic and claiming your power can you attract what you want into your life. When you don’t hold yourself hostage to another’s motives, you can realize that you have a right to your life. Personal power means you decide what is best for you, rather than letting someone else do it.

You accept that your values, beliefs and opinions are as important as anyone else’s. They’re individual to you and appropriate for you. Other people can disagree with your ideas, and that’s fine for them. But your’s are valid for you. You are the person driving your life.

When you empower yourself, you authorize yourself to use your inner power to create your life. You’re accepting the responsibility for your beliefs, thoughts and actions, knowing that doing so means you can change any of these when you choose.

Believe it or not, when you accept your power and begin to exercise it in your life, other people will respect you more. You’ll be calmer, your inner self will be happier, and Life will be much more supportive of your endeavors. It takes courage to empower yourself, but it opens you up to the flow of the Universe.

Affirmation

I now give myself permission to reclaim my power. No one else has a right to it. It’s mine by Divine Right. I have the right to decide what is best for me and to ensure that I follow through on it. My values, beliefs and opinions are as important as anyone else’s on the face of the planet. I now accept responsibility for my life, and know I have the power to  change it whenever I choose.

Copyright 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

A nationally known speaker, life coach, hypnotherapist, and writer, Linda-Ann Stewart helps people rediscover their power and sense of self-worth. Visit Secrets To The Law Of Attraction to download your copy of this free ebook.

self improvement, self help, personal growth, personal development, motivation, inspiration